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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Iligan City under state of calamity
By Richel V. Umel and Lino dela Cruz
ILIGAN CITY -- The City Government here declared a state of calamity after rains flooded the city's 44 barangays, displacing at least 500 families.
Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz said he coordinated with the Department of Education (DepEd) in ordering the suspension of classes in private and public schools here.
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A power outage and a cut in the city's water supply also affected several barangays.
A bridge in Tubod, Lanao del Norte was closed Monday due to several cracks.
Mayor Cruz said the City Council convened Monday afternoon and approved the release of five percent of the city's calamity fund.
He said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was already informed of the calamity that affected Iligan City's 44 barangays.
Iligan City Waterworks System (ICWS) Manager Christine Orbe said a 16-inch pipe installed below Tubod bridge that supplies potable water to the city was cut off and would take one week to repair.
In the meantime, Orbe said two trucks of the ICWS will supply potable water to affected areas.
The Iligan Light and Power Co. are rushing repairs in Bara-as while the Maranaw Telephone Co.-Philippine Long Distance Telephone technical teams are repairing cables cut down by falling debris.
Assistance
Mayor Cruz directed the City Social Welfare and Development Office to provide assistance to 500 families in several evacuation centers.
He also thanked the City Government of Cagayan de Oro for donating truckloads of rice for the affected residents, which are scheduled to arrive Tuesday.
Cruz said the flooding at the city proper caused by rains the past two days caused the Tubod and Mandulog rivers to overflow and affect infrastructure.
The Iligan City Disaster Coordinating Council (ICDCC) said they are monitoring the situation of 44 barangays hard hit by the floods especially in the hinterlands.
Armando Edroso, one of the ICDCC team leaders, said mudflow blocked portions of Barangay San Roque, prompting them to use heavy equipment to clear the area.
Water also overflowed across Barangay Dalipuga at the national highway enroute to Cagayan de Oro City.
Missing
Two children were reported at the City Hall as missing. They were identified as Jeffrey Sistoso and Jason Fernandez.
Another two unidentified persons were found drifting along Iligan Bay. They were rescued and brought a nearby hospital.
As early as 7 a.m. Monday, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Northern Mindanao immediately closed the Tubod bridge due to cracks.
Vehicles including provincial buses coming from Iligan City's western and eastern side were asked to use the lone entrance and exits using the Tambacan bridge, thus causing massive congestion and stranding many passengers.
Elsewhere, the City Disaster Coordinating Council and Rescue 111 teams were dispatched in barangays swept by chest-deep waters like in Barangay Mahayahay.
Other barangays like Dalipuga, Tambacan, Bagong Silang, San Miguel, and Tubod also got plagued by knee-deep water.
A minor landslide caused a boulder to destroy the house of one Emie delos Santos, in sitio Tag-Ibo, Barangay Dalipuga. The occupants suffered bruises, according to de los Santos.
Rescue 111 teams meanwhile warned residents living along the coastlines and riverbanks to evacuate to the nearest evacuation centers or move to higher ground. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (November 20, 2007 issue)
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